Drum operating mechanism



y 0, 1965 J. PETERS 3,195,391

DRUM OPERATING MECHANISM Filed April 9, 1964 J PH B22225 05E Z6 Z8 2/ BY A ron/v5 Y5 United States Patent 3,195,391 DRUM QPERATING MECHANISM Iioseph Peters, 61 Lellrun Road, Buffalo, N.Y. Filed Apr. 9, 1964, Ser. No. 358,600 6 Claims. o1- 84-422) This invention relates to drum beating mechanism and particularly to pedal operated means for beating a bass drum by either or both feet of the player, two beaters being arranged to beat the same drum surface.

It is common for trap drummers to operate two bass drums, one with each foot, for producing sequences and rhythms which would not be possible when playing one drum with one foot. By reason of space limitations it is often not feasible or pratical to employ two bass drums and therefore means for operating two separate boaters on one bass drum surface, one by each foot of the drummer, is highly desirable.

This broad conceptis not new but such means as have previously been provided for the purpose have been cumbersome and impractical in construction and operation and have not met with acwptance in the profession. For one thing, if the mechanical transmission of movement from the foot pedal to the beater is substantially altered or modified the response and feel of the mechanism is unnatural.

Standard pedal operated drum beaters are a common adjunct and the coaction between the pedal and the beater head is akin to the c'oaction between a piano key and the associated hammer. Accordingly, it is highly desirable that the action in a multiple beater arrangement be as nearly as possible identical with the standard single pedal mechanism normally employed with a bass drum by a trap drummer.

In the present invention this objective is achieved by providing a rigid horizontal bar or beam which includes means at its central portion for securernent of the lower rim portion of a bass drum and means at its end portions for receiving a pair of generally conventional bass drum beater pedal mechanisms. The bar or beam is so arranged that the two pedal mechanisms are removably attached thereto in substantially the same way as single pedal mechanisms are commonly attached to the lower rim portion of a bass drum.

In the structural combination of the present invention a double pedal arrangement is provided which is extremely simple to manufacture and, very importantly, is easily set up for use and readily disassembled for convenient transportation; Furthermore, in the present pedal arrangement the operation of the two pedals is identical so that the feel of the pedal action is the same as to both feet of the player.

While a single specific embodiment of the principles of the present invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing and described in the following specification, it is to be understood that such embodiment is by way of example only and that various mechanical modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, the scope of which is limited only as defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a general front elevational view of a drum equipped with one form of the pedal mechanism of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of a connecting or beam mem ber of the mechanism of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the lower front portion of the drum of FIG. 1 and an associated pedal mechanism.

Like characters of reference denote like parts throughout the several figures of the drawings. The numeral designates generally a bass drum disposed in the position in which it is conventionally used by a trap drummer and the numeral 11 designates generally a horizontal beam or bar member to which a lower front rim portion of the drum is removably attached. The beam member may be of wood or may be fabricated from metal or plastic material.

Beam 11 is the principal component of the present drum playing combination and comprises a rugged body portion of generally rectangular cross section having a central portion 12 of substantially reduced thickness. The reduced thickness portion 12 has an upstanding rail 13 at its front edge and the reduced thickness portion 12 connects with the main body portion of beam 11 by tapered portions clearly shown at 14 in FIG. 1.

Reduced thickness portion 12 and tapered portions 14 thus form a generally arcuate depression in the center of beam 11 which receives the lower front peripheral or rim portion of drum It the front edge of the rim of the drum being disposed against upstanding rail 13. The drum it) and beam 11 are readily and quickly connected by a screw 16 which passes upwardly through an opening 18 in beam 11 and through a companion opening in the rim of the drum, a wing nut 20 being provided for ready attachment and detachment of beam 11 with respect to the drum. If desired, other clamp means may be provided for detachably securing the drum to the beam member.

Adjacent to each outer end of beam 11 the body portion thereof is reduced to form a forwardly projecting flange 21. For reasons which will presently appear the flanges 21 are preferably of approximately the same vertical thickness as the rim portion of a conventional bass drum. Foot pedal mechanisms for playing bass drums are well known in the musical arts and standard pedal mechanisms are available which are normally clamped to the lower rim portion of the drum. In the present instance two such mechanisms are provided and are designated generally by the numeral 23 in FIGS. 1 and 3.

The pedal mechanisms are entirely conventional, each comprising a base portion 26, a hinged pedal portion 27, a releasable clamp member 28, and an upright bracket 30 which gives pivoted support to a beater arm 31 having a beater head 32. The operation of such a drum beating pedal mechanism is so well known that it is not necessary to describe the same. The only difference in the pedal mechanism in the present instance is the fact that the beater arms 31 extend obliquely toward the center of the drum so that when either of them is operated it will impinge the beater head against a point near the center of the drum for proper tonal effect.

The clamp portions 28 are engaged and secured over the opposite side flanges 21 of beam 131 as clearly shown in FIG. 3.

I claim:

1. In combination, a drum and beating mechanism therefor, said beating mechanism comprising a rigid horizontal beam member adapted to rest on a supporting surface, said beam member having a central recess at one side thereof for receiving the rim portion of said drum with the axis of said drum extending generally horizontally and at right angles to said beam member, a pair of horizontal flanges at the other side of said beam member adjacent to the opposite ends of said beam memher, and pedal mechanisms detachably secured to said flanges, said pedal mechanisms having beater arms extending obliquely upwardy and toward the center of said drum whereby the heads thereof strike said drum adjacent the central portion thereof upon operation of said pedal mechanisms.

2. In combination, a drum and beating mechanism therefor, said beating mechanism comprising a rigid horizontal beam member, means attaching the central portion of said beam member to the rim portion of said drum with the axis of said drum extending generally horizontally and at right angles to said beam member, a pair of horizontal flanges adjacent to the opposite ends of said beam member and extending away from said drum to Ward the payer, and pedal mechanisms dctachably secured to said flanges, said pedal mechanisms having beater arms extending obliquely toward the center of said drum whereby the heads thereof strike said drum adjacent the central portion thereof upon operation of said pedal mechanisms.

3. In combination, a drum and beating mechanism therefor, said heating mechanism comprising a rigid horizontal beam member adapted to rest on a supporting surface, said beam having a central recess at one side thereof for receiving the rim portion of said drum with the axis of said drum extending generally horizontally and at right angles to said beam member, a pair of pedal mechanisms, and means adjacent to the opposite ends of said beam member for detachably receiving said pedal mechanisms to associate the latter securely in fixed symmetrical positions relative to the drum, said pedal mechanisms having beater arms extending obliquely upwardly and toward the center of said drum whereby the heads thereof strike said drum adjacent the central portion therof upon operation of said pedal mechanisms.

4. In combination, a drum and beating mechanism therefor, said beating mechanism comprising a rigid horizontal beam member adapted to rest on a supporting surface, said beam having a central recess at one side thereof for receiving the rim portion of said drum with the axis or" said drum extending generally horizontally and at right angles to said beam member, a pair of horizontal flanges at the other side of said beam member adjacent to the opposite ends of said beam member, and pedal mechanisms having base portions including clamp means detachably secured to said flanges to establish a fixed positional relationship of said pedal mechanisms symmetrically at opposite sides of the center of said drum, said pedal mechanisms having beater arms extending obliquely upwardly and toward the center of said drum whereby the heads thereof strike said drum adjacent the central portion thereof upon operation of said pedal mechanisms.

symmetrical positions relative to the drum, said pedal mechanisms having beater arms extending obliquely upwardly and toward the center of said drum whereby the heads thereof strike said drum adjacent the central portion thereof upon operation of said pedal mechanisms.

6. In combination, a drum and beating mechanism therefor, said beating mechanism comprising a rigid horizontal beam member, means attaching the central portion of said beam member to the rim portion of said drum with the axis of said drum extending generally horizontally and at right angles to said beam member, a pair of horizontal flanges at the other side of said beam member adjacent to the opposite ends of said beam member, and pedal mechanisms having base portions including clamp means detachably secured to said flanges to establish a fixed positional relationship of said pedal mechanisms symmetrically at opposite sides of the center of said drum,

said pedal mechanisms having beater arms extending qobliquely upwardly and toward the center of said drum whereby the heads thereof strike said drum adjacent the central portion thereof upon operation of said pedal mechanisms.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 516,612 3/94 Rappold 84-422 800,509 9/05 Stanton 84422 994,289 6/11 Unger 84-42 1,281,465 10/18 Wilson 84422 2,581,515 1/52 Christian 84-422 3,030,847 4/62 Thompson 84422 LEO SMILOW, Primary Examiner, 

1. IN COMBINATION, A DRUM AND BEATING MECHANISM THEREFOR, SAID BEATING MECHANISM COMPRISING A RIGID HORIZONTAL BEAM MEMBER ADAPTED TO REST ON A SUPPORTING SURFACE, SAID BEAM MEMBER HAVING A CENTRAL RECESS AT ONE SIDE THEREOF FOR RECEIVING THE RIM PORTION OF SAID DRUM WITH THE AXIS OF SAID DRUM EXTENDING GENERALLY HORIZONTALLY AND AT RIGHT ANGLES TO SAID BEAM MEMBER, A PAIR OF HORIZONTAL FLANGES AT THE OTHER SIDE OF SAID BEAM MEMBER ADJACENT TO THE OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID BEAM MEMBER, AND PEDAL MECHAMISM DETACHABLY SECURED TO SAID FLANGES, SAID PEDAL MECHANISMS HAVING HEATER ARMS EXTENDING OBLIQUELY UPWARDLY AND TOWARD THE CENTER OF SAID 